Before Us
…before us ( for Sweet Honey in the Rock )
By ‘bro.zayid’
“We will not bow down to
Racism…
“We will not bow down to
Injustice…
“We will not bow down to
Exploitation!...
“I’m gon’ staaaand!
“I’m gon’ staaand!...”
I’m Gon’ Stand, Sweet Honey in the Rock
they stand before us
primed
to peel the pain of oppression
from legions of eyes…
they stand before us
quilted
to the heart
to the soul
to the drum
of the vast continuum of our history…
they stand before us
a full
hipthick tapestry
of memory and sound…
they stand before us
ancestor-anchored
battle-proven
and ready…
they stand before us
sparklin
in an array of dignity
regality
and enchanting cosmic and earthbound smells…
they stand before us
wingswide
wailin
moanin
stirrin
swingin
thumpin
jumpin
circles of lyric rhythm
forevah unbroken…
they stand before us
walkin
in the incredible wonder and way
of the ancient glory of the afrikan woman
and of the magic of earth mother…
awwww
i say,
they stand before us
honey-sweet
rock-solid
dove-throated
cross-strong
liberation-cravin
mountain-climbin…
with blazin prizebound eyes
quilted
to our incredible past…
anchorin
a fierce future…
peelin pain from our eyes
by the legions…
forcin us to feel the ancestors’ screams
to stand up
back straight
daring to cradle their necksnapped dreams
for us to soar
high
with wings oceanwide
journeyin
risin
risin
risin
forevah
to the sun…
“Whatchu gon’ do?
Whatchu gon’ do?
Whatchu gon’ do?
“I’m gon’ staaaand!
“I’m gon’ staaaand!...”
©1996 all rights reserved
‘bro.zayid’muhammad is a well known cub of the legendary NY chapter of the Black Panther Party. He is the founding press officer of the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee and the media advocate for the Newark AntiViolence Coalition…
Copyright © Zayid Muhammad | Year Posted 2016
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